1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, an image recording method, an image processing apparatus, an image processing method and an image processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional digital cameras, there has been known a digital camera provided with a function which directly records imaging data which has not yet been subjected to image processing (such data will be referred to as raw data hereinafter) in a recording medium or the like. Raw data is obtained by simply converting an output from an imaging element into digital data without performing image processing. Therefore, if the raw data remains unchanged, it cannot be viewed or printed as an image. In this sense, it is premised that the raw data is subjected to image processing in an image processing application in a dedicated image processing apparatus or on a PC.
Usually, when performing image processing of the raw data in an image processing apparatus or the like, image quality information (e.g., white balance information) required for the image processing must be transmitted from a digital camera to an image processing apparatus. Specifically, for example, image quality information required for the image processing is recorded in header information of an image file having raw data, and this image file is transmitted to an image processing apparatus. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,719,624 proposes a technique which records an image signal from an imaging element without performing color conversion and also records a matrix calculation constant or the like which is used in a matrix calculation so that such a signal or constant can be used in reproduction of an image.